Diagnosis
by Spare Bones Account
Summary: I hate summaries. No ships. Aspergers diagnosis for Bones. Possibly Zack, though it would seem like he should already have one. I don't know where this is going, but I know it's going somewhere. I'm a bit wordy on A/Ns in this chapter, sorry.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: Although I've seen all of S2-4, my knowledge of S1&S5 is spotty. Apologies for any inconsistencies with canon.

This is my first Bones fic, so please go easy on me! I found it interesting that although numerous fics have mentioned Bones having Asperger Syndrome (AS), none have dealt with her getting a diagnosis later in life, something that is fairly common-assuming Bones was born around the same time as Emily Deschanel, AS wasn't really a diagnosis until Bones was around twenty. I haven't really seen any fics involving her getting a diagnosis, though I'm pretty certain Sweets would have picked up on it. He's known her for two and a half seasons, for goodness' sakes!

Please, don't say that Bones isn't an aspie. Hart Hanson, the creator of the show and Emily Deschanel have acknowledged that she has many traits, but they can't really give her a DX because she's on TV. Well, that's where my imagination comes into play...

Anyways, after that, on with the fic!

* * *

Sweets sighed. Dr. Brennan really was a textbook case of Aspergers. he'd known her and Seely Booth for more than two years now, and was still wrestling with whether or not to tell her.

Really, it should be her choice if she wanted to look into this, but he'd still be the one pushing her onto that path. Mightn't it be better just to leave her be? She'd managed to create a space for herself, utilizing her special interest in a way well-suited to the world around her. Two ways, if you counted her books.

Even after two years of knowing her, he still couldn't decide what would be best for someone he now thought of as his friend.

Would it be too much of a violation of privacy to talk to Booth? How would Brennan view something like that?

* * *

Sweets tentatively picked up the phone.

"Booth? Yeah, it's Sweets. Could you find a time to meet me in my office? Nothing urgent...I just need to discuss something with you. Thanks."

What was he getting himself into?

* * *

A/N (Yes, again. Sorry.) I just realized that my readers mightn't be as familiar with the characteristics of AS. I'm just a teen, so don't hold me to any of this, but I studied up on this a bit for something unrelated. I think I can say this much without botching it up.

Aspergers is a (usually) mild form of Autism. Most aspies (aspie is a term for people with Aspergers) have the following most prominent traits:

-Although not all are geniuses, they tend to possess at least average intelligence. By definition, they have normal language skills, but they tend not to be well informed about popular culture

-They can't read facial expressions and body language well, sometimes (usually?) causing fewer relationships, as they can appear very blunt

-They have at least one (sometimes a few) extremely specific, intense, interests. Even when they have an average IQ, they tend to excel in areas pertinent to this interest, as they're especially dedicated to it.

In relation to Bones (And Zack, perhaps even more so than Bones. Or maybe she's just better at hiding it. Who knows? But yeah, you'll see Zack reflected in this too)

-Both Bones and Zack have above average intelligence (I believe Bones has mentioned it, I know others have. Zack definitively stated this in one episode, claiming that his IQ was above 160.) Neither have problems with speaking, but they have no grasp of popular culture and tend to take things literally.

-Need I say more on the second point? Aspies can love, they just can't show it well. (Anyone ship Bones/Booth? It's still possible, even with AS)

-FORENSIC ANTHROPOLOGY, PEOPLE.

On that note, I intend to write more if people are interested. If not, I won't bother typing it up. Reviews are appreciated, especially with constructive criticism (either about writing or AS) however story alerts and faves are also treasured.


	2. Update

Update: I'm at camp. I can't get anything off my laptop until the first of August, but chapters 2 and 3 are written. And, I had a question. Should Sweets know enough about AS that he can talk through this with Bones, or should I create a new person? I'd prefer to keep Sweets, but I'm not sure if that's too big of a stretch?


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: Did I really only post that much of the story? Sorry everyone! My brain got all muddled up between writing this stuff by hand and typing it up. And now look; I've managed to lose the silly notebook. Ah well, it's not like I have anything else to do with my time today.

"_Sweets? What do you need that couldn't wait until our next appointment? And where's Bones? Why does she get to get out of this and not me?"_

"_Booth, I need your advice about Bones."_

_Booth quieted. "What's wrong, Sweets?"_

"_Nothing's wrong. I just wanted your advice … I'm not quite sure where to begin …" Sweets took a deep breath. "Really, I shouldn't even be talking to you about this."_

"_Spit it out, Sweets! What's so damn important?"_

"_Booth, can you list any … quirks … you'd say are particularly unique to Dr. Brennan?"_

"_Why? Damnit Sweets, now you're getting me all nervous."_

"_Just go with me here, please."_

"_No."_

I kept chickening out when I tried to talk to Booth about Brennan. Probably at least part of the problem was that legally, I shouldn't talk to him about this sort of stuff, especially not without her in the room. But how to bring it up? Brennan can be quite intimidating at times, even to me. And really, what place did I have trying to talk to her about Aspergers'?

But, I'd been chickening out every time for over two years. Didn't she deserve to know, to have the choice?

I'd done my research over the past two years. I was pretty sure she did. She deserved to know.

Next time I saw her, I'd talk to Brennan.

A/N: good breaking point there. Brennan's more interesting; I'll do things from her POV next. Next update should be faster, since I've got some free time now.


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: I told you there'd be another update! Short, frequent updates seem to be easiest to pull out. Would you rather I posted updates every day or two that I type up on the bus, or longer ones very infrequently?

I took a deep breath. "Dr. Brennan, can I talk to you – in private?" I hoped she'd be able to talk right now. She's between cases, so it's not like she's in any rush.

"Of course, Sweets."

Booth stared at me for a minute, but I shooed him out of the room.

I'd tried hinting at it to Booth, but hinting wouldn't get me anywhere with Brennan.

"Dr. Brennan, have you ever heard about Aspergers?"

I'd been expecting a no, but once again she surprised me.

"Of course, Sweets. What about it?"

"See, I know someone who I think might have it and …."

Brennan stared at me. "How did you guess?"

She had to be kidding me. "You KNEW? You knew about it this whole time and never thought to tell me?"

"Well of course I knew. But I hardly see how Zack having Aspergers could be any business of yours."

Zack? I mean, it's not a shock to me, but how would Brennan know?

"So yes, I know what Aspergers' is. I researched it extensively when I first hired Zack. He informed me, assuming it might affect my job. I personally wonder whether the diagnosis is incorrect, though. He never seemed to have any trouble while working for me-"

I hated to interrupt Brennan, but she'd just given me the perfect point to talk to her.

"Dr. Brennan, have you ever considered why he didn't have any trouble working at the Jeffersonian?"

"Sweets, it is considered rude to interrupt me. But no, I never did. Why should I? As long as he wasn't having problems. That's about as ridiculous as wondering why Angela or Hodgins doesn't have problems at work. Because I hired them, with full confidence that they were well-suited to working there, with me."

Just _once_, could you grasp subtext? "Why don't we consider it now. Assuming his diagnosis is correct, it would stand to reason that there'd be some sort of noticeable difficulty, if not with work, then with his relationships at work with his colleagues, or something along those lines. Would you say that Zack had many more problems than the others you've hired in the past with getting along with the rest of your team?"

"No, I would not say so. Out of everyone I've hired, I'd say he adapted to my expectations fastest. I almost never had to correct him, get him to be more specific or anything of that nature."

"And..."

"And what?"

"And what conclusions can we extrapolate from this?"

"That Zack is far more intelligent and diligent than most people, especially considering that the sample is not random, it's people I have hired in the hope of them being more intelligent than average."

"Okay, that's one possible conclusion. Do you think that another possible – perhaps additional – conclusion could be that he was far more suited to working with you?"

Brennan stared at me. "Of _course_ he was far more suited to working with me."

"Dr. Brennan, if we assume that he had Aspergers, and was more able to work with you than most anyone else you've ever worked with, would you say that a reasonable conclusion would be that you have Aspergers too?"

A/N: Reviews make me smile :D

I wouldn't go so far as to say that they make me write _more_, but they make me write more Bones fanfic. If I go another month or so without writing fanfic, PM eaglesmeow. It's my other account on here. (That's my usual account, this is for Bones stuff and other random fics. I need to keep them separate in my head, since some people who know me know I'm eaglesmeow. And if I keep my Bones stuff separate, they won't poke into my stories, since they've never seen Mash or House, but they've seen Bones. Don't ask why I post ATU fics on here. I'm still not sure.)


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